Support for a marker pole

ABSTRACT

A support for a marker pole, comprising a ground-embedded ground spike (5) in the form of a straight rod and a marker pole holder in the form of a spiral (1, 2), characterized in that one or more of the uppermost turns (1) of the spiral have a larger inner diameter than the lower turns (2) of the spiral.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a support for a marker pole as defined in the preamble of claim 1.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Different kinds of marker poles are used for marking areas and paths in sports fields and orienteering competitions, for example. An important example of the use of marker poles are snow poles.

Snow poles are used for marking the edges of roads and yard areas. If no snow poles are used, it is possible that, after a snow storm, the driver of a snow plowing or blowing tractor cuts a corner on the road, across a ditch, for example, or destroys plantings in yards. Earlier, wood sticks, such as trimmed spruce saplings, were used as snow poles. The current snow poles are usually brightly-colored round plastic tubes.

A common solution for installing a snow pole is to simply stick it into soft ground in an upright position. If the ground is hard, a hole may have to be made in the ground by means of a digging bar. Once the snow pole has been inserted into the hole, the soil must be compacted around the pole by stomping by foot. If the snow pole is to be installed in an asphalt-covered area, a hole matching the diameter of the pole is drilled in the asphalt. Children playing in the yards of high-rise buildings often pull out snow poles to play with them. The holes emerging from under the snow in the spring are ugly and may expand if the asphalt crumbles.

A snow pole driven directly into the ground or asphalt ruptures easily during collision, such as if a car backs against it. Plastic poles are especially prone to rupture in frost weather.

The other kinds of marker poles suffer from the same drawbacks as the snow poles of the prior art.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,016,035 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,067,717 represent the prior art.

OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art. A particular objective of the invention is to provide a novel general-purpose marker pole support operable in both uncovered and asphalt-covered ground. The invention aims at providing a faster and easier way to install marker poles, avoiding the need to use a digging bar and to compress the soil by stomping by foot. The invention also aims at protecting the pole from rupturing during collision. Further, the invention aims at fixing the marker pole in the ground in such a way that it is difficult for a child to pull it out of the ground. Further, the invention aims at providing the marker pole with a loop or a fixing member, as a part of the marker pole support, in order to allow the marker pole to be converted into a fence pole by means of wires running through the loops.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As for the characteristics of the marker pole support according to the invention, reference is made to claim 1.

The principal parts of the marker pole support are a ground spike and a marker pole holder. The ground spike is a straight and narrow rod manually insertable even into hard ground easier than the marker pole itself. No digging bar or stomping by foot is needed. The marker pole holder is a spiral similar to a helical spring. At the top of the spiral, the spiral has, over one or more of its turns, an inner diameter capable of easily receiving the marker pole but without any unnecessary clearance. At the bottom of the spiral, the inner diameter provides a tight fit for the marker pole. When the marker pole support is in use, there is a substantially horizontal section between the ground spike and the spiral. For small-diameter marker poles, the ground spike is located on the center axis of the spiral. This ensures minimum risk of buckling for the combination of the marker pole and its support during installation. Marker poles with a larger diameter have a smaller risk of buckling but a long horizontal section may flex too much during installation. Therefore, the horizontal section of these larger-diameter marker poles is made short enough to allow the ground spike to be located away from the center axis of the spiral, close to the outer margin of the spiral. A vertical section not wound into a spiral is provided between the horizontal section and the bottom of the spiral.

If there is uncovered ground at the application site of the marker pole, the marker pole is installed at the application site as follows, by using a marker pole support according to the invention: first, the marker pole is inserted into the spiral of the marker pole support, as far down as it goes effortlessly. The uppermost turn, or the uppermost turns, of the spiral serve as a guide for the pole, the pole being fixed in place at the beginning of the smallest-diameter turns of the spiral. Then, the marker pole with its support is put in an upright position, at a desired spot on the ground, and pushed directly downwards until the ground spike is completely embedded in the ground and stopped by the horizontal section, and the snow pole is sunk down into its spiral and stopped by the horizontal section. The uppermost turn of the spiral serving as a guide is a great help in this operation.

If desired, the marker pole can be inserted into its support prior to driving the combination into the ground. This is easily done by supporting the horizontal section of the marker pole support on a stair step or the like, for example, and, then, by pushing the marker pole down into its spiral.

If the marker pole is hit by something, the marker pole will not rupture because the vertical section between the bottom of the spiral and the horizontal section is elastic. After the hit, the pole will reassume its upright position by itself.

If there is asphalt at the application site of the marker pole, a hole matching the size of the outer diameter of the marker pole is no longer needed in the asphalt. When using the marker pole support according to the invention, a hole suitable for its ground spike is enough. The suitable hole can easily be drilled in the asphalt by means of a cordless drill, for example. If it is desirable to lock the ground spike in its hole, urethane foam, for example, can be sprayed into the hole to serve as an adherent prior to pushing the ground spike into place. Typically, overcoming this kind of adhesion is impossible for a child but possible for an adult. Neither can a child cannot pull the pole out of its spiral. As the marker pole is inserted into the spiral, it compresses the spiral, with the result that the diameter of the spiral increases and the pole slides down into place quite easily. As the marker pole is pulled out of its spiral, the spiral stretches its length. This reduces the diameter of the spiral. Therefore, it takes a greater force to pull the marker pole out of its spiral than to push it in.

LIST OF FIGURES

In the following, the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing. FIG. 1 shows a marker pole support according to the invention. FIG. 2 shows an accessory for a marker pole support according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a marker pole support according to the invention. It is entirely made of a continuous spring steel wire having a diameter of 4 mm It is intended for marker poles which have a nominal outer diameter of 25 mm and which are used as snow poles. The 25 mm inner diameter of the first turn 1 of the top of the spiral is such that it easily receives the marker pole but without any unnecessary play.

The lower turns of the spiral 2 provide a tight fit for the marker pole, their inner diameter being 23.5 mm when the marker pole is not inserted into the spiral. The spiral is extended downwards by a vertical section 3. A horizontal section 4 both stops the marker pole during its insertion into the spiral and prevents its ground spike 5 from sinking too deep into the ground. Further, the horizontal section 4 positions the ground spike on an extension of center axis of the spiral and the marker pole. This results in that the combination of the marker pole and the support has less tendency to buckle as the combination of the pole and the support is pressed down during installation.

The presented solution is applicable as a support not only for marker poles but also for any similar structures, such as sign, guide, flag and tent-frame poles.

FIG. 2 shows a loop-shaped fixing member 6 which can be formed as part of the marker pole support. The fixing member 6 can be implemented on the marker pole 7 with the same operation principle and the same material as the marker pole support, in addition to which it does not constitute a part of the marker pole 7 but an accessory for the marker pole support. Thus, the marker pole 7 cannot only be positioned and fixed in the ground but also directly converted into a fence pole by means of the fixing member 6 of the marker pole support since the fixing member allows a wire or a tape to be tied to the loop 8 and then between any marker poles 7 equipped with a fixing member 6.

The fixing member 6 for the marker pole can be provided as a spiral around the marker pole 7. The position of the fixing member 6 on the marker pole 7 can be adjustable such that the spiral comprises a spring-like structure wherein compressing the turns of the spiral vertically towards each other increases the inner diameter of the turns and, thus, allows the spiral to be moved along the marker pole. This may allow for easy manual adjustment of the height position of the spiral on the marker pole.

The fixing members 6 comprise, as a part of them, a loop 8 or a similar attachment point for running a wire, tape, electric wire, chain or the like through or via it in order to install said wire or the like between the marker poles 7 by means of the fixing members 6.

The invention is not restricted to the above-described examples but allows for many modifications within the inventive idea defined by the claims. 

1. A support for a marker pole, comprising: a ground spike in the form of a straight rod; and a marker pole holder in the form of a spiral, wherein the spiral comprises at least one uppermost turn and at least one lower turn and wherein at least one of the at least one uppermost turn of the spiral has a first inner diameter that is greater than a second inner diameter for at least one of the at least one lower turns of the spiral.
 2. The support for the marker pole of claim 1, further comprising a substantially horizontal section provided between the spiral and the ground spike.
 3. The support for the marker pole of claim 1, wherein the support is entirely made of a single metal wire which is bent into a form of the support.
 4. The support for the marker pole of claim 1, further comprising fixing member configured to fix a tape or an electric wire to the marker pole.
 5. The support for the marker pole of claim 4, wherein the fixing member comprises a second spiral, wherein the second spiral is configured to be attached around the marker pole.
 6. The support for the marker pole of claim 5, wherein a position of the fixing member on the marker pole is adjustable.
 7. The support for the market pole of claim 6, wherein the second spiral of the fixing member comprises a spring-like structure movable along the marker pole by compressing the second spiral, wherein compressing the second spiral reduces a spring force of the second spiral around the marker pole. 